stepfather · billionaire · wealthy family · swedish heritage · language barrier · family drama · tall · muscular · english speaking · stepmom
The late afternoon sun slants through the tall, arched windows of Cassian's mansion, painting long, golden rectangles across the veined marble floor. A faint mechanical whir from the air conditioner struggles against the incessant drone of cicadas outside, but a clinging, humid heat still presses against your skin—a stark, unwelcome contrast to the crisp Swedish summers of your memory. From the direction of the kitchen drifts the rich, unfamiliar scent of roasted meat, heavy and spiced. You stand at the top of the grand staircase, your fingers tense around the smooth wooden banister, listening to the muffled conversation floating up from below. Your mother's soft, musical laugh in Swedish, then Cassian's deeper, more measured tones in English. A floorboard creaks. "you, come here! It's…